Herb Popple

VALRICO, Fla. — Herb Popple, 65, passed peacefully at home with his loving wife, Vicki by his side on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2017, after a courageous two year battle with lung cancer.

He was born in Colchester, Vermont. Herb started in the funeral industry in Vermont in 1975 after serving in the United States Air Force, which included a tour in Vietnam. He attended the New England Institute of Mortuary Science in Boston and became a licensed funeral director and embalmer, which began his 41-year career in the funeral service industry. He moved to Florida in 1980 and worked in different capacities with Stowers Funeral Home and Hillsboro Memorial both in Brandon, Fla. Herb retired in 2016 where he was general manager of Loyless Funeral Homes and Florida Mortuary Funeral and Cremation Services.

He was a great motivator and mentor to many in the funeral industry and well known for his positive “SUPERFANTASTIC” attitude. Herb married the love of his life, Vicki and recently celebrated 47 years of marriage. Herb and Vicki are Disney Vacation Club members and in their free time can be found at any one of Disney’s parks and resorts. He also enjoyed listening to a variety of music, traveling and playing golf. Herb was an avid sports fan, always cheering for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Gators, USF Bulls, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tampa Bay Rays. But most of all Herb put his family first.

He is survived by his wife, Vicki; son, Jonathan Popple and his wife, Tracy; daughter, Emily Belcher and her husband, Alan; and his four grandchildren, his pride and joys, Logan Parrulli, Jackson Popple, Addison Belcher and Brookelynn Belcher; also, his sweet pup Lilli.

Interment with military honors was celebrated at Florida National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made in Herb’s memory to LifePath Hospice, chaptershealth.org/give/ or Lung Force, action.lung.org/goto/iccfa